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Martin Nievera and Pops Fernandez

Leah C. Salterio

<div><br/></div><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-1" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/DEwiDtQy0l6/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=540&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A1%2C%22os%22%3A855971.8000001907%2C%22ls%22%3A4718.5%2C%22le%22%3A5298.300000190735%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="607" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-1" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><p>MANILA -- After a much-needed break with their families in the United States, Concert King Martin Nievera and Concert Queen Pops Fernandez have now recharged and are ready to take on 2025 – starting with the preparation  for their  highly anticipated concert, “Always &amp; Forever.”</p><p>Preparing for any concert is a serious undertaking for both Nievera and Fernandez, even if they have performed together a number of times in the past since 1987, when they staged their first show together, “Twogether” in 1982.</p><p>“It was a good break. We were with our kids and Finn, our first grandson. I got to rest a lot. I was also able to spend a lot of time with Ram. We definitely were able to take a break and are ready,” Fernandez recalled in an interview held in Quezon City on Monday.</p><p>“We were in Chicago to spend our grandson&#x27;s first birthday, we went to Vegas with all my sons. We saw all our children; no one was excluded,” Nievera added.</p><p>The pair revealed that “Always &amp; Forever” is a celebration of their incredible 40-year journey as one of the most iconic duos in the music industry.</p><p>“She did the math. Sa&#x27;n ka nakakita ng ganyan. Mas nagtagal kami on-stage,” Nievera said in jest.</p><p>“At least that we can celebrate… very exciting. We can&#x27;t wait to get on stage, curious kami to see,” Fernandez added.</p><p>The concert on Feb. 7 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City will mark their return to big venues together. According to the duo, this will be their most authentic and unforgettable show to date.</p><p>“Hindi ito to excerpts of our other shows, this is a brand new show,” Fernandez said. “Although you will hear a lot of familiar songs during our era, we are studying a lot of other new tunes. I’ve been studying myself in my room really trying to concentrate and learning all the new songs for ‘Always and Forever.’</p><div><br/><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1736826588538PM.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:633px"/></div><div><br/></div><p>Nievera said the concert will feature songs that tell their story. “When Pops and I are onstage, we do our songs together. That’s part of our set list. We will do songs that tell our story from then and until now using the music from that era.</p><p>“The best time for me was from the eighties. Even my playlist was all from the &#x27;80s. I never moved from that era,” he said.</p><p>The entire show is a concept of the love story of Nievera and Fernandez together through music. They have been a team together through the last four decades.</p><p>“If we are not performing together, she is a guest in my concert and I am always a guest in her concert,” Nievera noted. “We’re a team. We’ve always been in each other’s shows. We don’t really need a guest unless we want to have fun with someone.”</p><p>The last time the duo performed together onstage was before the pandemic in 2020, in a concert mounted by Star Media at The Theater at Solaire.</p><p>“We were able to do seven straight shows at Solaire,” recalled Fernandez. “We even planned to bring the concert on tour, but that didn’t happen anymore.”</p><p>Asked about their theme song, they suddenly hummed the familiar, wordless tune from “Beverly Hills Cop.”</p><p>“Just don’t ask anymore why,” Fernandez smilingly said. “None of the songs we ever sang in ‘Penthouse’ became our theme song.”</p><p>The un-couple were asked to give their respective wishes for each other. Fernandez marked her 58th birthday last December 12, while Nievera will celebrate his 63rd birthday on February 5, two days before their pre-Valentine’s concert at the Mall of Asia Arena on February 7</p><p>“I wish that everything that Pops starts, be it lipstick, always blossoms and brings positive things,” Nievera wished for Fernandez. “Getting into business is a big risk than show business. I wish that every dream that she has comes true.”</p><p>Meanwhile, Fernandez wished that Nievera finds his peace and happiness always. Even if she has been loveless for a long time now, Fernandez unselfishly wishes for happiness for Nievera, who has been in a relationship with his non-showbiz girlfriend, Anj del Rosario.</p><p>Fernandez calls their team “weird,” both on and offstage. “Whether we’re okay or not, when we’re onstage, we are a team,” she said. “I guess it will be very difficult for you guys to see if we’re okay at that time we were onstage or not.</p><p>“Once we mount the stage to perform, we let go of everything we were going through, because we really focus more on the show. As a matter of fact, that has happened so many times that we sometimes talk to each other onstage.</p><p>“The audience thought it was part of a spiel, but we were actually dealing with what we were going through at that time while we were onstage. That was really weird. I guess we can call that professionalism. Martin is more weird.</p><p>“I learned from (‘Penthouse Live’ director) Fritz Ynfante, the minute you step onstage, it is important that you entertain the people because they know nothing what you both are going through.</p><p>“I guess I carried that all throughout. It was very difficult at first. It was always difficult. They always say the show must go on.”</p><p>“Cliché” as Nievera maintained. “That’s right. The show must go on. The difference now, we are noticing how good the team we have become. At this stage in our career, we are aware of that.</p><p>“We are not always together, but we are able to finish each other’s sentences. We are able to understand each other merely through our facial expressions when we are onstage.”</p><p>Fernandez added, “We were so private before after what happened to us. We are now more open to talk about us. We don’t make fun of it, but we talk about it in a lighter way.</p><p>“What happened before was really serious. We’re not making fun of what we’ve gone through, but today, we can afford to twist it and make it funny. Some of our audience have experienced what we’ve gone through. It happens.”</p><p>“We complement each other not just in our adlibs,” Nievera said. “When it comes to performance, our partnership never changed.</p><p>“If there’s anything that we can be proud of, we hold a certain stature, not really prestige, in the music industry that we are able to still entertain, regardless. We were not made to fall in love just for the sake of art.</p><p>“That didn’t happen during our time. To this day, we are able to still entertain even if we are un-together.”</p><p>Surprisingly, their fans, to this day, are still pining their hopes for Nievera and Fernandez to romantically reunite because their “automatic chemistry” remains evident when they are onstage.</p><p>“That was weird, because the fans, in their minds, their wish is for Martin and I to get back together,” Fernandez said. “We are not leading them in any way that we’ll get back together. That is very important because we don’t want to pretend.</p><p>“What they see is what they get. Maybe because we are so honest about that particular topic. They get excited and curious. People realized that.”</p><p>Nievera added, “There’s a fine line when you tease the audience and make hem feel stupid or treat them like they’re dumb and they don’t know that truth. We don’t do that. They know so much because of social media.</p><p>“Let’s not fool the audience for the sake of money. Martin and Pops is really a great team, whether or not the people like us. I think it’s important for us to continue performing together as long as there’s a demand.”</p><p>Nievera and Fernandez recorded “The Promise” as the theme of their February 7 concert, arranged by Homer Flores, who is the musical director of their concert. The ballad was earlier recorded by Nievera solo in his “Forever” album in 2004. -- <strong><em>With report from Anna Cerezo, ABS-CBN News</em></strong></p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEOS:</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cVN0dWihmqA?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kZTGvV01rbM?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/e4QQwjB0xE8?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>Concert King Martin Nievera and Concert Queen Pops Fernandez are ready to take on 2025 – starting with the preparation for their highly anticipated concert, 'Always &amp; Forever.'</p>

Concert King Martin Nievera and Concert Queen Pops Fernandez are ready to take on 2025 – starting with the preparation for their highly anticipated concert, 'Always & Forever.'

Martin Nievera, Pops Fernandez promise brand new show in arena return

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Martin Nievera, Pops Fernandez promise brand new show in arena return

Leah C. Salterio

Published January 14, 2025 12:27 PM PHT

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Updated January 14, 2025 01:14 PM PHT

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Martin Nievera

Pops Fernanez

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